Aluminium / Aluminum 6061 Alloy (UNS A96061)

Aluminium / Aluminum 6061 Alloy (UNS

A96061)
Sep 27 2012

Image Credit: Samuel R Vose/Shutterstock.com

Aluminium / Aluminum alloys are sensitive to high temperatures. They tend to lose
some of their strength when exposed to high temperatures of about 200-250°C.
However, their strength can be increased at subzero temperatures. They also have
good corrosion resistance. Aluminium / Aluminum 6061 alloy is the most commonly
available and heat treatable alloy.

The following datasheet gives an overview of Aluminium / Aluminum 6061 alloy.

Chemical Composition
The following table shows the chemical composition of Aluminium / Aluminum 6061 alloy.

Element Content (%)

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Aluminium / Aluminum 6061 Alloy (UNS A96061)

Aluminium / Aluminum, Al 97.9

Magnesium, Mg 1
Silicon, Si 0.60
Copper, Cu 0.28
Chromium, Cr 0.20

Physical Properties
The physical properties of Aluminium / Aluminum 6061 alloy are outlined in the following
table.

Properties Metric Imperial

3
Density 2.7 g/cm 0.0975 lb/in3
Melting point 588°C 1090°F

Mechanical Properties
The mechanical properties of Aluminium / Aluminum 6061 alloy are tabulated below.

Properties Metric Imperial

Tensile strength 310 MPa 45000 psi
Yield strength 276 MPa 40000 psi
Shear strength 207 MPa 30000 psi
Fatigue strength 96.5 MPa 14000 psi
Elastic modulus 68.9 GPa 10000 ksi
Poisson's ratio 0.33 0.33
Elongation 12-17% 12-17%
Hardness, Brinell 95 95

Thermal Properties
The thermal properties of Aluminium / Aluminum 6061 alloy are given in the following table.

Conditions
Properties
T (ºC) Treatment
Thermal expansion co-efficient 23.2 (10-6/ºC) 20-100 -
Thermal conductivity 167 W/mK 25 -

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Aluminium / Aluminum 6061 Alloy (UNS A96061)

Other Designations
Other designations that are equivalent to the Aluminium / Aluminum 6061 alloy are listed in
the following table.

AMS 4117 ASTM B247 ASTM B429 DIN 3.3211 MIL G-18014 QQ A-200/8
ASTM B209 ASTM B307 ASTM B483 MIL A-12545 MIL G-18015 QQ A-225/8
ASTM B210 ASTM B313 ASTM B547 MIL A-22771 MIL P-25995 QQ A-250/11
ASTM B211 ASTM B316 ASTM B548 MIL F-17132A MIL T-7081 QQ A-367
ASTM B221 ASTM B345 ASTM B632 MIL F-18280 MIL W-23351 QQ A-430
ASTM B234 ASTM B361 ASTM F467 MIL F-39000 MIL W-85 QQ WW-T-700/6
ASTM B241 ASTM B404 ASTM F468 MIL F-3922 QQ A-200/16 SAE J454

Fabrication and Heat Treatment

Machinability
Aluminium / Aluminum 6061 alloy has good machinability in harder T 4 and T6 tempers. It
can be machined in an annealed temper.

Forming
Aluminium / Aluminum 6061 alloy can be easily formed and worked in the annealed
condition. The standard methods are used to perform bending, stamping, deep drawing,
and spinning operations.

Welding
Aluminium / Aluminum 6061 alloy has excellent weldability. Thinner sections can be welded
using the gas tungsten arc welding technique. Heavier sections can be welded using the
gas metal arc welding technique. Alloy 4043 filler wire can be used to achieve a good
result, but it will affect T 6 properties.

Heat Treatment
Aluminium / Aluminum 6061 alloy is heat-treated at 533°C (990°F) for a sufficient period of
time followed by quenching in water. The precipitation hardening process can be performed
at 160°C (320°F) for 18 h followed by air cooling. This process is again repeated at 177°C
(350°F) for 8 h followed by cooling in air.

Forging
Aluminium / Aluminum 6061 alloy is forged at 233 to 483°C (750 to 900°F).

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Aluminium / Aluminum 6061 Alloy (UNS A96061)

Hot Working
Aluminium / Aluminum 6061 alloy is hot worked at 260 to 372°C (500 to 700°F).

Cold Working
Aluminium / Aluminum 6061 alloy is cold worked in the O temper condition. It can also be
cold-formed in the T 4 and T 6 tempers.

Annealing
Annealing of Aluminium / Aluminum 6061 alloy can be performed at 775°F for 2 to 3 h
followed by controlled cooling at 10 to 260°C (50 to 500°F) per hour, and air cooling.

Aging
Aging of Aluminium / Aluminum 6061 alloy can be performed at 177°C (350°F) for 8 h. It is
then cooled in air.

Applications
Aluminium / Aluminum 6061 alloy is used in the following applications:

Truck and marine components

Furniture
General structural and high-pressure applications
Pipelines
Heavy-duty structures
Railroad cars
Tank fittings

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